


Black and White, but mainly Grey

by blackflames



Category: Psych
Genre: Brother-Sister Relationships, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Behavior, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Shawn Spencer has a sister, Slow Burn, like really slow burn, murder because Psych
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-11-07 15:00:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20819234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackflames/pseuds/blackflames
Summary: "There are many other things than black and white." Stephanie said as her gaze drifted to the Irish detective that stood before her. "Many shades of grey exist between the two colors that are often looked over.""Not while I'm around" Lassiter said meeting the look of the young private detective. He took a step forward, only a foot separated the two now. The air grew thick as the tension built. "There is only black and white. Any shade that exists between are nonexistent when it comes to the law."-Stephanie Spencer has led a difficult life, one different than most. Not only was she a private detective, something her father hates, but she also holds secrets that challenge her start at another life in the city where she grew up.With the help of the SBPD Stephanie is determined to regain control of her life. However not everything goes according to plan. Now that she is back in Santa Barbara, she has the talents of her not-so-psychic brother to compete against for cases at the SBPD and not all are as appreciative of another Spencer joining the list of consultants.Sit back, grab a pineapple and wait for iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittt....(PS Don't judge a story by the poorly constructed summary)





	1. Chapter 1: It all starts somewhere

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any Psych or any of the amazing characters in the series. I also do not own the SBPD, Santa Barbara, or any of the 50 states. 
> 
> No pineapples were harmed in the making of this chapter.

Karen Vick was not in a good mood this morning. Once again, for the third time in under two weeks, another victim had been found. All signs from the crime scene pointed to another victim of, whom the press refers to as, the Midnight Murderer. She had given her Head Detective the case in hope that he would find the person behind these killings. When he turned up nothing, she hired Psych, with hope they would turn up something. This hope, of course, had been crushed when Shawn couldn't ‘divine’ anything other than the perpetrator had a fifteen hundred dollar Rolex watch.

The newspapers were hounding the Chief for information in these cases. Right now, Chief Vick was desperate and wanted...no...needed some type of lead before the Feds jumped in. Right now, she was praying for some type of miracle, or a facsimile of one. Someone must have looked down on her because at this point, there was a knock on her office door.

"Come in" spoke Karen in a strained tone. In walked a girl whom Chief Vick had never seen before. After a quick assessment of the girl, Chief noted that she had a small scar on the right of her neck, and reminded Karen of someone... However this wasn't what was bugging the Chief, no, what was bugging her was that this person was dressed in street clothes. "If you are from the newspaper, I've already said that I am not giving a statement. Now, I am very busy, so if you would please." Karen gestured towards the door.

Stephanie had just walked into the Santa Barbra Police Department's Chief's office and already she was being told to leave before even getting a word out. She wasn't stupid though, she knew the stress was about the Midnight Murderer, and possibly some of it from the baby that the Chief had at home, judging by the bags under her eyes and the coffee cups overflowing the trash can as well as the picture on the desk. It wasn't surprising that the Chief confused her with a newspaper reporter, considering Stephanie was in her civilian clothes and carrying a manila folder with her. 

"The newspaper?" the young girl let out a chuckle, she couldn't imagine being a journalist, just the thought made her laugh. "Oh, no. I'm not from the newspaper. My name is Stephanie Spencer, I'm a private detective. I used to work cases at the police station back at my old place. I came to drop off my résumé and offer up my services on the cases revolving the Midnight Murderer." Stephanie handed Chief Vick her manila folder, in which contained a list of cases that she helped solve along with references from her previous employers. 

"Wow, this...this is impressive." said Chief Vick as she flipped through the five page list of solved crimes and references ranging from a small town store owner to New Scotland Yard. 

“Thank you, I’ve spent the last few years at New Scotland Yard in London. Just recently, I decided to move back to Santa Barbara.”

This caught the Chief’s attention. "I'm sorry, what did you say last name was?" asked the Chief.

"Spencer, and before you ask, yes. I am related to your psychic, Shawn Spencer, but no. I am not a psychic, sadly my brother got all of the psychic genes in the family. However, as you can see I have solved many cases without the help of my brother's special gifts." said the young brunette as the Chief surveyed her. As impressed that Karen was with the file, she wasn't sure that this girl would do any justice in solving this crime. After all, this girl couldn't be any older than 25... However she wasn't in any position to deny help.

"Normally I wouldn't do this, but since the Feds are itching to jump in on this case, the department is desperate. I am officially hiring you on as a consultant for this case. Hopefully you'll be able to help us find the guy behind these murders." said the Chief as she stood up.  
"Thank you, you won't regret this." said Stephanie with a smile. The cops had already done most of the work, but Stephanie knew there was more to be done at each crime scene along with things that the cops missed from the evidence. "I will, of course, need access to all the crime scenes. It will help me determine what happened for myself and give hints on who the suspect is."

"That will not be a problem." The Chief said after a moment of thought. She just hoped that her head detective would go along with this. Walking to the door, Karen gestured Stephanie to follow her. The two woman walked out of the office and down the hall. On the way Stephanie was still smiling at the case she was given. She came in expecting to be denied and then later called back, but didn't expect to be hired right off the bat. And especially not on a high profile case like this. This was just the sort of case that would help kick off her new business and get her back in the groove of things.

As they neared their destination, Stephanie noticed that they were walking to a group of four people. Two of them she quickly recognized as Shawn and Gus, she briefly remembered the two talking about the case at dinner the other night. She doubted they would be happy to let her join. The other two were obviously detectives. Judging by how the male looked like Mr. Bean, it had to be Head Detective Carlton Lassiter, or Lassie as Shawn liked to refer to him as. Lassiter appeared annoyed, probably because Shawn was here bugging him over something stupid. The other was a girl with blonde hair. Just by the way she held herself and how she was standing by Lassie, this was none other than the famous Detective Juliet O'Hara, or Jules as Shawn calls her. The girl has been the object of Shawn’s desires for the last two years and if Stephanie had to hear one more time just how brilliant Jules was, she was going to punch someone.

"Spencer, if you don't have anything useful pertaining to the case, then I suggest you leave and let the grown-ups work." said an annoyed Detective Lassiter, as Shawn was doing some weird display of trying to draw a vision.

"Lassie, you know how I work. I need to see, hear and smell things in order for my visions to come to me psychically. Occasionally I need to taste things, especially those little chocolates with the caramel on the inside, Gus what am I thinking of?" said a certain psychic to his oldest and blackest friend.

"Uh, that would be Rollo's, and I hear that. They are like a sweet surprise wrapped in a sweet, sweet treat." said Gus with a sort of dreamy look. Shawn snapped his fingers in acknowledgement and pointed to Gus.

"Detective Lassiter, Detective O'Hara, allow me to introduce Stephanie Spencer, she will be working as a consultant for the case from here on." said Chief Vick. It was at this announcement that Lassiter looked at the Chief along with the girl by her. Lassiter eyed the girl wearily. She didn’t look like a detective, much less look old enough to finish college. What the Chief was thinking when she hired this girl was beyond him. He just hoped that she didn’t get in his way like Shawn did. "Now, detectives, I want you to give Ms. Spencer access to the crime scenes and-"

"Hold on, you expect us to just give this civilian access to a crime scene. Not to mention that Detective O'Hara and I can handle this case without any help from Psych or this college drop out." Detective Lassiter spoke up. Lassiter was convinced that he could solve this case by himself, he didn’t feel like Psych or this poor excuse of a girl were needed. They were just a waste of department funds to him.

"See, I don't think that you can a handle it, Carlton. You two have been on this case for almost two weeks now and people keep turning up dead. I need some progress and I need it fast. If Ms. Spencer here is confident enough that she will solve the case, then I want her on this case. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Chief." said Juliet and with that the Chief Vick left, leaving Stephanie in the company of the two detectives, a fake psychic and pharmaceutical salesman.


	2. Investigation time..whaaaaaaat???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer than my previous one. I am trying to speed through non-cannon stuff to get to the original series.
> 
> No pineapples were harmed in the making of this chapter.

As the two were arguing, Stephanie took note of the briefing board that was by the desk. Looking closely, she noted that each victim had handcuff makings along with other peculiar markings on their right arm. The marking was different on each victim and looked like Chinese, which meant there was a note left behind, just barely noticeable. That wasn't the only thing on the body though, they all had expensive princess cut jewelry. Judging by the type of cut, the size of the stones, and technique, it could only come from Twardsei Jewels and Accessories. There was also a lit cigarette that was left in all the victims’ hands; undoubtedly, it was this guy's 'signature,' since none of the victims smoked. Next to the pictures was a list of possible suspects that were ruled out in each case. The apartment locations were listed and mapped out and seemed to be surrounding one area on Las Palmas. When she glanced down on the Head Detective's desk, she noticed two names and addresses that were circled on there, Peter Johnson and Daniel Chase. These must be the suspects, Stephanie thought as she stored this information for later reference.

"Steph, what are you doing here? I thought you were busy moving?" Shawn asked his younger sister, who just laughed.

"Well, I got tired of moving, and I remembered you and Gus talking about the case at dinner and thought, ‘why not’?" Stephanie replied with a sheepish smile. “Dad’s watching everyone while I volunteer my services for the case.”

"Listen up,” said Lassiter, “we already have Jackal and Hyde working on this case and wasting the department’s resources, we don't need some college girl thinking she knows how to do a detective's job better than real detectives. So, why don't you take your little pom-poms and bother someone else because we're busy trying to solve a crime." With that, Lassiter grabbed his coat and started walking away, but before he could get further than three steps, Stephanie spoke up.

“I suppose then, detective, that you guys have already found the meaning behind the markings that appear on each victims’ right wrist just above the ones made by handcuffs?” questioned the so-called college girl without missing a beat. Stephanie was use to people underestimating her; it happened often enough just because she was female. However, that didn’t mean she deserved to be looked over like last night Brussel sprouts. Seeing everyone’s confusion, Stephanie dug around in her purse until she found her small magnifying glass. Then she walked up the victim with the blonde hair and placed the magnifying glass over the indicated area. Shawn leaned forward and recognized that his sister was right, how he’d missed it the first time was anyone’s guess, but he just chalked it up to a bad day. 

“The spirits are communicating with me!” exclaimed Shawn, and he put his hand to his head squinting, before talking in a cartoon Chinese accent. “They are telling me noodles! And egg rolls, pork egg rolls! And something about knees…Japanese? ...no…dirty knees? ...What are these?”

“Shawn.” Said Gus as he elbowed Shawn in the stomach.

"Chinese! The spirits are agreeing with Steph that they are Chinese symbols and not markings that Gus and I had originally believed were from E.T." Shawn said as he had a 'vision' that was agreeing with his sister. He was a bit shocked that Stephanie of all people, his little sister, had seen this and he, Shawn, hadn't.

"Phone home," Gus said, putting in his two-cents. 

The two police detective looked at one another before turning to the young girl who was radiating confidence. While the symbols were now evident to everyone, neither detective wanted to admit they overlooked the fact in front of the mystery consultant. They didn’t even trust her, not yet at least.

"Right, while you three talk about nonexistent things, O'Hara and I will continue our investigation looking for actual plausible leads. So, you three," Lassiter gestured to the other three. "Stay out of our way." Walking away, Lassiter lowered his voice to a whisper. “Get the coroner to-“

“Already on it,” Juliet whispered back before pulling out her phone and calling the coroner. They needed to figure out what those markings were and fast.

Stephanie huffed at the fact that her lead hadn't given her the ground in the case that she was hoping for. It was just her luck to get stuck working with a Detective with a stick up his-

"Wow, Stephanie, how did you notice that markings on the victim’s body?" asked Gus as soon as Lassiter and Juliet left. "I mean, not to sound rude or anything, but the words looked like handcuff markings to me."

"Gus, don't be the only good Star Trek movie," said Stephanie as she held in a smile and started walking away, knowing full well that the boys would follow her. "It was obvious; everyone knows that a crazy murderer always leaves a signature behind. The cops assumed that it was the burning cigarette that was left on each crime scene. Right? They were wrong, that was just a miss direction, and the actual signature was the note. It's not rocket science." Stephanie explained as they exited the police station. She had one destination in mind, the roommate of the second victim.

"Well, it wasn't that obvious." Shawn stuttered out. He was still shocked that she had discovered the real key piece of information for the case. "I mean, the symbols were pretty well hidden in the markings of the other cuts made on the body." His sister stopped by the blue 2008 Toyota Camry. This was the first car that she saw when she went to the dealers. It was a year old, top of the line car that money could buy...or at least when that money belongs to a PI...

"If you want to come with me, I'll explain on the way. I need to stop off and interview some people before taking a look at the latest crime scenes." Stephanie said, ignoring that comment that Shawn had made. She was kind of disappointed at the fact that her brother hadn't picked up on the Chinese hint. It was kind of a big clue to tracking down who committed the killings, Shawn and Gus looked at each other, thinking the same thing. If Stephanie solved this case before they did, then Psych would be out of business because the department might turn to her instead of them. This was all the clarity that they needed before making their decision. The psychic duo raced to their car, honking their horn as they waited for the younger girl to do the same thing.

Stephanie looked at the tiny blue car—and no, she wasn’t going to call it the Blueberry no matter how much Shawn and Gus insisted—with an exasperated expression. “I meant that I would give them a ride,” she mumbled to herself as she got in her car and drove to the first suspect's address.

The trio pulled up in front of a white house with a small garden. There was nothing suspicious at all about it; in fact, it looked pretty plain to Stephanie’s taste. The only thing notable that stood out was a man sitting in his robe on the porch. A frown was etched on the man’s face as he stared blankly in front of him. His eyes had a faraway look, and a cup of coffee was in his hands.

"Do you want to question him, or should I?" Stephanie asked her brother, who exchanged a look with Gus. The boys were both skilled in questioning a suspect. However, they were torn at the fact they wanted to see the younger girl at work. They couldn’t let her show them up.

"I will question him. You can watch how we take care of things here, in the Americas." Shawn said with a boyish grin on his face, determined to one-up his little sister.

"You mean the United States of America," said Gus looking at Shawn, who became instantly confused. Stephanie bit back a grin. This was going to be interesting.

"No, I mean here in our country, the Americas."

"Our country is the United States of America, Shawn."

"What's the difference?"

"Well, the United States of America is in North America. Then there is Central America and South America, two others."

"Yeah, but they're all part of the same place."

"No, they're not Shawn. Each has different countries-"

"I can't do this with you right now," Shawn stated, thoroughly cutting off his best friend. Stephanie watched the two with amusement. She had missed the arguments that the best friends would get into on pointless nonsense. "If you would follow us, we will show you how to weasel information out of a suspect." Shaking her head, the younger girl followed the best friends up the set of stairs to the lonely looking man.

"Hello, my name is Shawn Spencer, and this is my partner Rush More, who lives in a mountain, and our new intern Nia G. Falls; she's a visitor from all the way across the pond and right next to the lily pad. Are you Peter Johnson?" Shawn asked the man, and his sister scoffed. She couldn't believe that Shawn had said she was an intern! The sheer hypocrisy of the statement left Stephanie wishing she had questioned the guy first. She’d get him back, of that she was certain.

"Yeah, I am." the man replied in a sort of monotone voice. It was clear to Stephanie that he had been through a rough time. "You're here about Regina." At this, the young private investigator frowned. He clearly had been talking about what had happened often if he knew the reason for them being here. It wasn’t nice to relive the pain of finding someone close to you, dead.

"Yes, I am the head psychic at the Santa Barbara Police Department. Was she acting weird, worried, or confused about something the night before she died? Possibly the last episode of Leverage? I know I was confused when-" Shawn asked the man before being elbowed by Gus.

"I already told the cops what happened. She was perfectly fine, normal even. She-she was the nicest person ever. I don't know who would have wanted to kill her." said Peter, wishing this everyone would leave him to grieve in peace. 

"So that's a ‘no’ on the Leverage thing?" asked Shawn, causing his two compatriots to shoot him a glare. "What?"

"Regina was a preschool teacher. I was going to propose to her. We were going to start a family. What am I supposed to do now?" by now, tears were flowing down the man’s face. He was having a hard time coping. "You know the last t-time I saw her, I yelled at her. I-I called her a jerk. What kind of person am I?"

Peter continued to cry, and the other three looked at each other. Three things were obvious. One: this guy did not kill anyone. Two: It was lunchtime, and the psych duo were beginning to think of Jappa dogs. Three: because the two boys were emotionally stunted, it was going to be up to Stephanie to console the broken-hearted man before them (especially since Shawn and Gus had not-so-subtly taken a step back leaving Stephanie the one closest to Peter).

"There's no need to blame yourself, Mr. Johnson. The death of your fiancée is not your fault. Trust that the police department will do what they can and that we will help. We are going to find this guy, I promise." Stephanie spoke to the man with a certain fire in her eyes. There was an aura around her that made the man trust her. That trust was rightfully placed because of all people; Stephanie knew what it was like to lose someone dear to the heart. When Peter looked at Stephanie, he saw the same heartache and pain that he now saw in himself when he looked in the mirror.

Shawn and Gus exchanged a look but said nothing. They knew of the troubles that the younger girl now carried with her. They saw them every day and in every movement that she makes. However, as much as it pained them to see the younger girl so different than the last time they saw her, they had a case right now. Fixing, Stephanie could wait. Speaking of waiting...

"Mr. Johnson. Peter. Can I call you, Pete? I am sensing that you recently visited a jewelry store with Regina in the days leading up to her death." said Shawn, remembering the too clean necklaces, bracelets, and rings that the dead girls had worn.

"Well, yeah I did, how did you know?" Peter asked, unaware of how the strange man had known. His gaze turned to Stephanie, who raised her hand to her head and mouthed 'psychic.' "Oh, right. Um, I took Regina a few weeks ago to Twardsei to see what kind of diamond she liked. Then I made a trip the next day for the ring. I proposed on Monday, and now..." Peter cut himself off as he started sobbing. Stephanie put an arm around the crying man and whispered consoling words. It was always hard for Stephanie to deal with the family of those who had lost someone so unexpectedly. Six years of working cases, and it never gets any easier.

"Mr. Johnson, thank you. We are going to leave now. If-" Gus began but was unable to finish his train of thought due to an unexpected cut-in.

"Peter," Stephanie said in a soft tone, getting the teary-eyed man's attention. "Did Regina have any connection to China that you knew about? Did she know anyone who had an interest in the county?"

"N-no. Why?" asked Peter, confused as to why the sudden questions about a country neither him nor his dad fiancée had ever been to.  
"Just a hunch," Stephanie said before squeezing the man’s arm and standing up. She nodded to Shawn and Gus, who followed her suit. "As Rush said, we really should be going. There's still a lot of evidence to comb through."

"I understand," said Peter as the consulting trio said their goodbyes.

Stephanie spoke to her brother before getting into her car, Shawn riding shotgun. This criminal had done a lot of damage to a good man. There must be some back story to cause this nut case to kill three people. No one was more determined to catch this guy than Stephanie. After all, she better than anyone knew what the death of a loved one meant and vowed to find this guy before he killed again.  
~*~*~  
When Stephanie, Shawn, and Gus arrived at their next location, they noticed that there was no police detail at the crime scene. The three of them played rock paper scissors (Stephanie and Gus winning 2 out of 3) to see who would open the door. Watching each other’s back, they each entered the crime scene before closing the door behind them.

"Okay, this goes without saying, but don't touch anything," Stephanie warned as she pulled out the gloves that she keeps with her at all times and handing a pair to Shawn and Gus. Gus made a clicking noise with his tongue as Shawn rolled his eyes. Shawn couldn't believe that his sister was scolding him like he hadn't done this before. Stephanie, on the other hand, enjoyed teasing her older brother in any possible way, considering he had done the same thing to her as they were growing up. "Here is the crime scene." They went into the living room, where there was blood everywhere.

Stephanie glanced around and noticed that the blood splatter pattern was indeed consistent with that of a gunshot. She glanced around and replayed the crime in her mind. The door latch wasn't broken, so she must have let her attacker in, which meant she knew him. They then walked into the living room, where she was attacked from behind. There was a mess along with a couple of knocked over books and pictures, signaling a struggle. The blood splatter along the wall lead down to the floor where more bloodstain appeared from several locations. Walking around the room, something caught the young private investigator’s eye.

"Well, look what we have here," Stephanie said as she bent down to pick up a small pin from the floor. Lifting it, she noticed engraving on it, the Chinese symbol for forever. Considering the fact that the police already bagged and tagged evidence, this pin meant that the killer had returned at some point. "Shawn." 

"What is it?" Shawn said as he suddenly appeared by her. She lifted the pin for Shawn to look at. "This has the same engraving." Stephanie shook her head.

"No, this one is different. It means forever. Our suspect must have some fetish for the Chinese." Stephanie said as she pulled out a bag from her pocket before placing the pin inside and sealing the bag. "There we go, I have all that I need...do you guys need some more time?" Shawn shook his head, having picked up bits earlier when he was here after the body had been found. With that, they exited the apartment, but instead of heading towards the lobby, Stephanie had a different idea. They walked down the hall and stopped outside the apartment, reading 185A.

"What are we doing here?" Gus asked when Stephanie knocked on the door. Instead of responding, Stephanie just held up the small pin. She knew that this was where the roommate was now staying.

"Um...hello?" said the man as he opened the door. Daniel was wearing black sweatpants and a skin-tight white t-shirt. The man's eyes were tinged red, meaning that he had been crying recently. He must be taking the loss of his roommate pretty hard, yet not too hard judging by the lipstick stain on his neck. There was also a distinct look in his eye that gave Stephanie the knowledge on how to approach the situation.

"Hello, my name is Alice Carrow. These are my mates, Old Ronny McDonald and Grimace T. Jackson. We just moved into the flat above."   
Stephanie said, pulling out her British accent (that wasn’t too bad considering she had a few years to work on it while living abroad), a notion that didn't go unnoticed by her companions. "I was making some biscuits and was wondering if you had a cuppa sugar I could borrow."

"Sugar?" the man asked and looked Stephanie up and down before responding in an ever so slightly husky voice. "Yeah, I have sugar. C'mon in." Stephanie flashed a grin at the two men behind her, who gave her an angry look. Neither condoned the younger girl using her looks as a way to get answers.

"This is such a lovely flat you got here," Stephanie said, completely falling into the role she had done many times. It was true that the young private investigator had flirted with many men to get the information that she needed. It was one of the many reasons she had become a PI. Reading people was easy and, if she was completely honest, it was fun using that knowledge to get what she needed... legally, of course. "Where did you get the inspiration for such a beautiful room?" 

The Psych duo exchanged a look, not believing that Shawn's sister would be into interior design. Both of them remembered when Stephanie was younger and how she hated to do fashion stuff. She loathed it so much she often dressed in a boy’s style and kept her room as messy as one. She was a tomboy through and through, and it was a wonder how she ever made it through high school with how mean the teenage girls are.

"Actually, it's not mine. This is my friend’s apartment. I'm just saying here for a while. I’m Daniel, by the way, but you can call me Dan." Daniel said, handing the sugar to Stephanie.

“Cheers,” Stephanie said with a smile as she accepted the cup. 

"Really?" Gus asked Stephanie, who just shrugged. She was starting in a new place from almost scratch. A little bit of sugar was less that she had to worry about buying later. Besides, now she had a taste for cookies…but that was beside the point.

"Yeah, my place is kind of a crime scene, so I haven't been back there in a while." Daniel said, misinterpreting, who the ‘really’ was for. At this, the three shared a look. Shawn nodded to Stephanie, who nodded back. 

"Was there a break-in or-" Shawn trailed off. Rule number one in detective work, let the suspect fill in the information. Leading them was good, but they had to give the information themselves, or else it wasn’t as viable.

"I wish it was," Daniel said as he sat down on the couch, Stephanie moved to sit next to him. "I moved in with my best friend Mary a year ago. The other day I had to work late, so she walked home alone. It wasn't a far walk, she was at the Daily Cup, and I figured she would be okay. But when I got back-" He broke off for a second as tears filled his eyes. Stephanie's heart gave out as she listened to his tale. She reached out and grabbed his hand and squeezed it in an attempt to encourage him to go on with his story. "When I got back, Mary was dead. Someone had killed her."

"Oh my God." gasped Stephanie. "I am so sorry. I can only imagine what you're going through." She knew full well that Daniel wasn’t as upset as he let on. She had seen many people fake emotions and could tell that was what Daniel was doing. Whether it was because he was trying to milk the situation in order to score with girls, or because he’s been killing everyone, Stephanie didn’t know.

"It's rough, but I am getting through it one day at a time," Daniel said as he put on a brave face looking at Stephanie, who had caught the look in his eye and had to suppress an eye roll herself, how she hated pompous, overconfident jerks. At least now, she was clear on what the fake emotion was about, but that didn’t shake the strange feeling she got from him.

"I told you this was a bad neighborhood," Stephanie said with a glare at Shawn, who appeared confused. "Carrol said this place had a lot of gang activity. I knew we should have never moved from London."

"You'll have to excuse Alice," said Shawn in possibly the WORST British accent ever. Seriously, it’s like he thought British people talked in an upscale high-pitch all of the time. Shawn caught on to what his sister was implying though The last suspect was a dead end on both the case and the Chinese clue. This was their last chance to find the connection because the first victim had lived alone and had no friends or family. "She believes that there are Chinese mobs everywhere since she saw the Godfather."

"I thought the Godfather was based in New York," Daniel asked.

"I've heard it both ways," Shawn said, defending his mistake.

"Alice, you don't need to worry about mobs," Daniel said as he turned to Stephanie, who immediately began to play the embarrassed friend. "There's none too bad here, and no one would harm a beautiful woman such as yourself. In fact," Daniel grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled something down before handing it to Stephanie. "Here is my number, just in case these two guys aren't enough to protect you."

"Oh?" Stephanie questioned, barely holding back a smirk. This guy was trying to play the white knight, then Stephanie was more than happy to oblige. Shifting in her seat, Stephanie leaned forward in her body ever so slightly in a seductive manner. "If my mates here can't protect me, then what makes you think you can?" At this, Daniel grinned. He placed his hand on her thigh and sported a smirk. This was too easy, Stephanie thought.

"I am a black belt in Karate. I think I'm fit to protect a damsel in distress better than those two." Daniel gestured to Shawn and Gus, who immediately became defensive. Stephanie, however, held back a grin. There was the Chinese clue she had been looking for. 

"Okay, that's it we are leaving," Shawn said, grabbing Stephanie's hand, pulling her away from Dan and dragging her towards the door.

"Bye Dan. It was nice meeting you. I am sorry your friend died, but don't talk to Alice anymore." stated Gus as he followed the sibling out the door.

"If you ever want a break from these two, you're always welcome to call. Anytime," shouted Daniel before closing his door. Stephanie threw her head back and laughed. Even if she wasn't on a case, there was little chance that Stephanie would ever call Daniel, given the creepy feeling she got from him. He was so full of himself, it was annoying.

The entire time to the car, Shawn and Gus were silent, which was strange considering how noisy the pair could be. When they reached the car, both boys rounded on Stephanie, who pulled her arm away from Shawn and sighed. 

"What the hell was that?" snapped Shawn, who was uncharacteristically angry. The anger threw off his sister for a second. "I cannot believe you were flirting with the suspect."

"Do you know how inappropriate that was?" questioned Gus, causing Stephanie to roll her eyes. She should have known this was coming.  
"Please, I was just trying to get information; it's not like I was throwing myself at his feet or anything. It was a simple interrogation technique." Stephanie said with a head shake.

“Do you even realize that he is a black belt in Karate? There’s your Chinese connection. What if he comes after you next?” asked Shawn, fear leaking into his voice near the end. He hadn’t seen his sister in years, and he didn’t want to lose her now. 

“I know, Shawn,” Stephanie said softly before pulling out the gun that was holstered to her side and holding it out for the boys to inspect. “This is a berretta .67, fully loaded. I am well aware of the connection to the case and Daniel. However, you forget that I have been doing this for years, I can handle myself, bro.”

"Fine, but I don't want you doing it again." said a reluctant Shawn. He didn’t want his baby sister to get into any trouble. He was the big brother, isn’t he supposed to protect his sister?

Stephanie put the gun back in its place, hidden by her jacket. She didn’t agree with Shawn, no, she knew far too well that sometimes it was good to have the target interested. It made them hesitate in the long run…or react violently... but Stephanie wasn’t going to focus on that right now.

"Now that we have that settled, can we please have lunch now? It is three o’clock, and I have not eaten in the last two and a half hours, and right now, I am craving some jerk chicken." Gus stated, his stomach rumbling to prove his point.

"Right on, buddy." Shawn agreed before turning to his sister, who looked at the two with a small smile. "What do you say, Steph? Lunch break?"

"I already ate lunch, and unlike the two of you, that's enough for the meantime. Go ahead, grab some food, but make sure to save room for dinner tonight, it’s going to be your favorite," said Stephanie with a laugh. How these two ate as much as they did, but still managed to stay thin was beyond her. 

"Bet," said Gus before getting in the Blueberry. Stephanie walked to her car and pulled out her keys to unlock it.

"Hey, Steph," called Shawn in a surprisingly serious tone, which caused the young private investigator to turn around with a raised eyebrow. "Be careful."

It was rare for Shawn to be serious, and this was one of those times. Stephanie knew that no one was one hundred percent sure where these girls were taken and decided to play it safe for a moment. Besides, she knew that Shawn would not let her be on her own until she promised to stay safe. 

Stephanie gave her brother a small smile. "Of course, Shawn, you forget careful is my middle name," she said teasingly, causing Shawn to grin, despite the situation at hand. Both of them knew that Stephanie was more than capable of handling herself. However, it made them both feel better at the familiar overprotectiveness of Shawn and the ever sarcastic teasing of Stephanie.

With that said, the siblings got into their rides and drove separate ways. Stephanie had a hunch about what was going on, but before she called the Chief, she wanted to check on a few things first. This in mind, she slowly made her way to the office space that she rented.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's up, guys? 
> 
> I know some of this stuff is far fetched, but I am not a detective and am going off of random tv show information. Speaking of which, I am trying my best to keep everyone in character, let me know how I am doing. The next chapter will offer a better look at Stephanie. Bear with me because this type of writing is still pretty new to me.


	3. Chapter 3: Because every case needs a filler scene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slight plot, but mainly filler.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: No pineapples were harmed in the making of this chapter.

When Stephanie arrived, she exited her car and entered the building. It was a small space, including a lounge area and a door that led to the area she claimed as her office. The door to the side led to the kitchen, where she grabbed a bag of Cheetos and a bottle of Root beer, something to snack on for the time being. The snacks were always her go-to food whenever she was on a case like this. Not entirely healthy, but she was an adult so…

Stepping back into her office area, Stephanie wheeled out the large metal whiteboard that was behind her desk. On one side, the board held a map that had the location of all the murders pinned and connected by a piece of red string. On the other hand, they held pictures of the victim’s faces and a description of them and where and how they were found. She pulled out a red marker and added the words Daniel Chase and Chinese. Stephanie wasn’t too sure about why the killer left the notes that he did, but she knew it was important. The young private investigator began to draw the symbol on the board as well and listed its meaning. 

It was ironic to Stephanie that the symbol didn’t portray a message, just a single word. The word was repeated on each of the victim’s wrist. Liar. Stephanie circled the word, confused as to the meaning. Did this mean that these women were keeping a secret? They didn’t know each other, at least not from what Stephanie or the police department had found. Still, there was something they had to be missing.

“What happened to you, girls?” Stephanie mumbled to herself, looking at the dead girls' pictures. She then pulled out the bagged pin in her pocket and clipped it to the whiteboard and circled it with a red marker and added a question mark. This was part of the evidence that didn’t make any sense. The police had already combed through the crime scene and bagged any evidence that was there, so either they missed the pin on the first inspection, or the killer had returned to the scene of the crime at some point after they had left. Why the killer returned was the big question.

The theory would make sense if Daniel were the culprit because he was the roommate of the latest victim, which meant that he had a key to get in the pace. The fact that he had a black belt didn’t help his case either. The locks were intact, meaning the last victim had known her killer. Though Stephanie did not have a good feeling about Daniel, she doubted that he could have killed anyone. He was a flirt and gave her a weird feeling, but there was some truth to what he was saying. Behind the flirtation and the not-so-subtle bragging, he was trying to cope with his roommate’s death. Besides, Shawn had said that he saw the guy who was leaving one of the victim’s houses on tape around the time of their murder who had a $1500 Rolex. It didn’t seem like Daniel, who was currently rooming with his friend, could afford such a luxury. 

Still, there was something…off about this case. The marking on the wrist, nothing in common with any of the girls. “This doesn’t make any sense,” Stephanie exclaimed as she stared at her board, the frustration building. Stepping away, Stephanie grabbed her computer. She needed more information. 

For the next few hours, the young private detective alternated between looking up more information about these women through the internet and contacting anyone close to them. She tried tracing back their activity in the days leading up to the murders, but so far had come up with nothing. She could not figure out a link between the three girls, well, the last two victims at least. The first girl, Katie Rosenwood, was living alone. She kept to herself, no boyfriend, and barely one or two friends, either of whom was very close to Katie.  
All of the girls had different jobs, different hobbies, different friend groups, and different facial features. This was not a guy targeting a specific type of woman, no, he was targeting women in general. It seemed almost as if he was wronged in the past by a woman. Yet neither women had a connection to China or the Chinese in general, which likely meant they were chosen at random...were they just a cover-up?  


The thought had made Stephanie stop what she was doing. These girls, who had led different lives, had only the fact that they were dead in common and their type of jewelry. If this were a cover-up, surely that would mean someone else had been murdered…didn't it? Or at least, the first crime was the center, and the other girls just happened to catch the wrong person’s attention.

A shrill of a phone interrupted Stephanie’s train of thought. She looked at her desk, which was now littered with papers, pens, and sticky notes before spotting her phone’s light underneath a piece of paper. “Hello,” Stephanie said as she answered the phone. Her eyes trailed around her messy desk before pulling out folders and placing the items in their rightful places.

“Stephanie, where the hell are you? It’s six o’clock. Are you going to pick up your kids sometime soon?” a voice grumbled on the other end, causing the private detective to pause and glance at the clock. Sure enough, its angry red numbers confirmed the time. She was supposed to pick up her kids an hour ago; it’s no wonder she was getting a call this late.

“Sorry, dad.” Stephanie apologized as she stood up and grabbed her keys and coat along with the folder she made with copies of all the case documents and headed towards the door. “I lost track of time. I’m leaving the office now, and I should be there in about 20 minutes.”

“No rush, James has been drawing, and Alex is playing with your old doll set.” A loud crash and cry could be heard from Henry’s line, causing him to curse. “James, give Alex her doll back,” Henry yelled, causing the private investigator to smile softly as she started up her car.

“Maybe I should let you go.” Said Stephanie as she pulled out of the parking lot. “Actually, can you bring them over to my place? It’s just, I haven’t started dinner yet, and it would be so much easier if I didn’t have to go pick them up.”

“Fine, but you owe me.” Grumbled Henry, causing Stephanie to laugh.

“Because you just hate to spend time with your grandkids, eh pops?” Stephanie joked. “But I’ll let you stay for dinner. It’s orange and pineapple beef with leftover brownies for dessert.” She received a reluctant ‘if I have to’ before saying goodbye and hung up the phone. 

In no time, the young Spencer had made it to her house, which was a 15-minute drive from the office. It was a small house, nothing too big or fancy. The outside was tan and gave off a feeling of comfort. She didn’t have the money to pay for a house, no, she had gotten the house as a gift from a friend. A gift that was too much but couldn’t be passed over, considering she was tight on money. 

Stephanie unlocked the door and stepped inside and was greeted by the warmth the house had brought. Though cardboard boxes laid over the entire house, leaving it with a cluttered feeling, and the walls were bare, the young private detective couldn’t imagine herself anywhere else. Though she had loved the rainy city of London, it never really felt like home.

Shaking her head at the thought, Stephanie took off her coat and walked down the small hallway and into the small bedroom, which she had claimed as a home office. Placing the folder in her desk, she exited the room and locked it, knowing full well that Shawn and Gus would be trying to see how far she had gotten. 

When she finally made her way to the kitchen, Stephanie got out the ingredients and started cooking dinner. Within a matter of minutes, the entire kitchen was filled with the heavenly scents of the cooking food. As she started cutting up the pineapple, the door to the house opened, and the pitter-patter of two little feet accompanied by a heavier set of footsteps.

“Stephanie? Are you here?” called the elder Spencer.

“In the kitchen,” Stephanie replied as she set another pot on the stove with peas, corn, and carrots. 

“Mummy!” called the two kids who rushed over to where their mother was. Forgetting about the rule about not being in the kitchen while the stove was on, Stephanie dropped to her knees and hugged the two people who meant the world to her. Her kids were the only thing she had left of her old life, and though they were only three years old, they made the move easier on Stephanie. After all, they didn’t raise a fuss about moving and not being able to see their dad’s side of the family, who only lived in Europe. 

“There’s my two favorite people in the world.” Stephanie greeted her kids, giving them one last squeeze before releasing them. “Did you have fun with Grandpa?”

“I played with dollies,” Alex said with a smile, showing off her dimple on her left cheek.

“I drawed pictures,” James said, holding out a piece of paper in his right hand, looking extremely pleased with himself. Stephanie took the picture, heart-clenching as she looked at it. Unwanted memories suddenly pouring through her head. “That’s mummy, and daddy, and Lex, and me, and Uncle Fed.”

“That’s very pretty.” Stephanie cooed as she stood up and moved to the fridge, where she pinned it under a pineapple magnet. “There, so that way, everyone can see mommy’s talented artist.” James beamed and giggled. “Why don’t you two go play in your room while mommy gets dinner ready.” 

“’ Kay.” Her kids said before rushing off to their room, no doubt to make a mess. Henry watched the interaction between his daughter and her kids. He hadn’t seen Stephanie all these years due to her relocation to England after graduation. In fact, the last time he saw her was at her wedding. Henry never got the chance to meet his grandchildren because his son-in-law never liked him and, if he was being completely honest, the feeling was mutual. 

Stephanie got back to work, cutting up the ingredients for the sauce, fully aware that Henry’s head was spinning. After a moment of silence, she could take no more. “What is it?” questioned the young girl as she turned the beef over, not looking at her father.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Henry said immediately, causing Stephanie to sigh. Stepping away from the stove, she finally faced her father.

“Dad,” Stephanie warned. “I am not Shawn. I can tell when something’s bugging someone.”

“Why did you move back?” Henry questioned. “What happened in England?” 

“I told you I needed a change of scenery,” Stephanie said stiffly. She should have known that is what this is about.

“Bull. I asked you to come back four years ago, and you told me that it would never happen. And now all of a sudden, you come back for a ‘change in scenery’...without your husband no less. You don’t even wear your wedding ring anymore,” Henry stated before running a hand down his face. “I just want to know what happened so I can help.”

Stephanie didn’t speak for a moment. She wasn’t ready to tell her father, or anyone really, what had happened. Her hand moved to her ring finger on her left hand, where for the last four years, a small wedding band had sat. It was no longer there for dozens of reasons, yet none she could bring into words. It was worrying Henry that his daughter wouldn’t talk to him. They had always been close, but time apart had put a crack in that close relationship…one Henry wasn’t sure would heal. 

Before Stephanie could reply, however, the door opened, and Shawn and Gus trailed in the house, arguing rather loudly. 

“For the last time Shawn, I do not care if you have to sell your house, I am not paying for you to buy an engagement ring that you are not even going to use.” An annoyed Gus said to Shawn, who looked equally as annoyed, but more exasperated. It was safe to assume that this argument had been going on for a while. 

“Come on, Gus, this is for a case! Besides, I don’t have a house; I live in an apartment, remember?” Shawn said. “Look, I promise as soon as we solve this case, you can return it and get your money back.”

“It’s not that simple, Shawn. Once a ring is bought, it loses half its value. I’ll be lucky if I even get anything back.” Stated Gus.

“Fine, I’ll just use whatever is in the Psych saving’s account,” Shawn said, earning a lip smack from his friend.

“Uh, uh. No way am I letting you waste all of our money on some stupid theory.” Gus said. “Uh, uh, no way. You can kiss my black-"

“GUS!” Stephanie snapped in a warning tone. “Language.” No sooner, the words left her mouth; there was a sound of footsteps running to the living room, screaming.

Sure enough, in ran Alex and James, who tackled their Uncles. The tension that was building in both the kitchen and living room immediately dispersed, no one wanting the young ones to be exposed to the fighting. Shawn and Gus were then dragged into a game of hide-and-seek.

Stephanie turned back to her cooking meat and placing the seared beef onto a cookie sheet, where eight other pieces sat, before pouring the brine, made up of garlic, lemon, cinnamon, and thyme, into the cookie sheet and putting the whole thing in the oven. “Why don’t you go put on the television? I’m pretty sure that something is on that will interest you.” Stephanie said to her father as she put the chopped ingredients in the blender and turning it on.

“This isn’t over,” Henry said before leaving his daughter alone. The young private investigator leaned against the counter, letting a few tears slip out of her eyes when she was sure that she was alone. In truth, Stephanie didn’t know how to tell anyone that the reason she was no longer wearing her wedding ring was that she couldn’t. It wasn’t because he had left her, no something much worse had happened. Her husband had died on a case, giving up his own life to save hers. How was she to tell her family that the man she had loved had died when she was still working through the pain? 

Life wasn’t fair, and it never would be. This is what the young private investigator had learned in the last couple of years. She never got her chance at real closure, for her mother-in-law had taken her ring and forbidden her and her children from going to the funeral. His family and her old friends mocked her for that simple reason. She hated knowing that it was because of her that everything had happened the way it did, that she was now a broken mess.

There was, however, one thing that Stephanie knew she could do. She would solve this case, give the family and friends of these victims the closure she never got the chance to have. And she would do it or die trying.

~*~*~*

It was nearly 11 am when Stephanie finally had a break in the case. Well, not the one she was hoping for. Her theory the day before panned out, there was a recent death prior to the string of murders. The reason the death was not connected to the other crimes was that the MO was different, yet there were still some similarities if one looked hard enough. Instead of one killing, it was two, Melinda Hills and Derrick Ray, whose bodies were found in a similar manner to that of the first victim of the Midnight Murder. The murderer was never found. The crime occurred two days before the Midnight Murderer killings began. Logically, it made sense. If you kill others with a different MO to take the heat off of the investigation, then you won’t have to worry caught for the first murder. Plus, piling bodies gives you time to get the resources to run. So now there was only one question: who killed Melinda and Derrick?

This is the question that got her stuck. There was still no connection to any of the women, so why were they targeted. They must have crossed paths at some point, yet nothing she could find. The young private investigator groaned and threw her hacky sack, which she was tossing in the air, at the board. She hated cases like this — so little evidence, not enough to give way to a pattern. Needless to say, it infuriated her. 

“Stephers! Where are you?” a voice called as the door to the building opened, causing Stephanie to sigh. She recognized who it was immediately, if not by the voice, but by the name.

“Back here.” called the young private investigator before quickly moving her board out of sight and covering it with a piece of cloth just in time for Shawn and Gus to enter her office space.

“Really? You’re not going to share what you have?” disbelief flooding the fake psychic’s voice. “What is this? 1980?”

“Relax, Shawn. This case is my way into the police department.” Stephanie said, rolling her eyes. “I can’t risk you pulling your ‘psychic’ stuff and taking this opportunity from me.”

“I have a better idea,” said Shawn as Stephanie waited for the next line, sure that it would be something entirely ridiculous. “You close this place down and work for us. We could split the fee three ways.” Stephanie laughed and shook her head.

“This place is how I earn a living, and regardless of that, I need every penny to provide for your niece and nephew,” Stephanie said before grinning as an idea popped in her mind. Yes, this is just what she needed. “However, I am willing to share a small piece of information with the two of you. In fact, you can help me get it.” 

The Psych duo exchanged a look, both knowing they would take whatever insight that the younger girl had. This case left them stuck; neither could figure out any sort of connection between the deceased girls. 

“What is it?” questioned Gus. He was actually curious as to what she had. He knew that Shawn was having no luck on the case; they had been on it since the beginning. Stephanie just smiled and walked up to Gus and grabbed his arm, hugging it close.

“Depends, how do you feel about getting married, Gus?” Stephanie questioned, batting her eyes before laughing at the expression at both of the boys’ faces. This was going to be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, fellow Psych enthusiasts!
> 
> Sorry for the late update, it is midterm week, and it is seriously kicking my butt. I know there is not a lot of plot in this chapter and I am sorry for that. On the bright side, I am anticipating at least two or three more chapters in the Midnight Murderer case, and then we get to the fun stuff; cannon storyline! I realized that I never set a time when this happens; it takes place before "The Greatest Adventure in the History of Basic Cable". 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the reading! I promise there will be an upload this Sunday!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> Long time watcher, first time writer of the Psych series. This story is going to be a roller coaster of love and loss and birth and death and joy and sorrow....wait, that's Doctor Who...I am really excited to be finally publishing this story, I've been working on it for a really long time. This first case will not be cannon, it's more of a way to introduce Steph to the storyline before diving into how she affects cannon plot, so bear with me.  
Thoughts? Feelings? Criticisms? Wanna share a pineapple (I've sliced one up for the road)?


End file.
